Mary the Mother of God: Her Purity and Holiness - EOTC Perspective - Part II

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) holds a deep reverence for the Holy Virgin Mary, acknowledging her unparalleled purity and holiness. In this essay, we will continue to explore the profound significance of Mary’s purity and sanctity, expanding on the insights shared in Part I.

When we proclaim that the Holy Virgin is pure and holy, we are not suggesting that she descended from heaven or that she is without human nature, resistant to hunger, thirst, fatigue, and death. Instead, we emphasize that she maintained perfect purity, having preserved herself from all sins. This understanding aligns with the teachings of the Holy Fathers, who asserted that apart from sin, Christ adopted human nature through His incarnation (ሥጋዌ). Jesus Christ Himself experienced hunger, fatigue, suffering, and death in the body and soul He inherited from the Holy Virgin Mary, and He referred to Himself as a son of man to express this shared nature (John 3:14-15).

When God desired to redeem humanity by becoming human, He found no other woman like the Holy Virgin Mary, who was a treasury (ግምጃ ቤት) of all virtues: holiness, purity, honesty, humility, hope in God, and love. Abba Hiriyakos illustrates this in the Liturgy of the Holy Virgin: “እግዚአብሔር አብ በሰማይ ሆኖ ምስራቅንና ምዕራብን ሰሜንና ደቡብን ዳርቻዎችን ሁለ በእውነት ተመለከተ ተነፈሰ አሸተተም እንደ አንቺ ያለ አላገኘም የአንቺን መዓዛ ወደደ ደም ግባትሽንም ወደደ የሚወደውን ልጁንም ወደ አንቺ ሰደደ፡፡” This statement testifies that no other creature can compare to her in holiness. The Holy Virgin's purity and sanctity are matchless. She stands apart from the rest, chosen among the chosen, superior to all creatures yet beneath the Creator, possessing a remarkable purity and holiness (Luke 1:26-55).

The glory (ክብር) of Mary surpasses that of all saints; she bore in her womb the One whom the Cherubim (አራቱ እንስሳት/ የጌታ መንበር ተሽካሚዎች), the twenty-four priests of heaven and angels praise with fear and unceasing devotion in heaven (Rev. 4:7-9).

The holiness and purity of the Virgin Mary are truly exceptional. Angel Gabriel praised her, saying "ጸጋን የተመላሽ ሆይ" St. Elizabeth also praised her, saying "የጌታዬ እናት" (Luke 1:28,43). Such profound honor has never been bestowed upon any other human being.

Mary's sanctity is not merely a matter of verbal acknowledgment. In Psalm 45:11, it is written, “ንጉሥ ውበትሽን ወድዶአልና፥ እርሱ ጌታሽ ነውና”. Here, King David speaks of her inner purity and sanctity. The beauty that God, the King, cherished, and what made our Lady extraordinary, was her perfect combination of a pure body, mind, and soul. In Psalm 87:3, David further acknowledges her, stating, “ነኪር ነገሩ በእንቲአኪ ሀገረ እግዚአብሔር፣ የእግዚአብሔር ሀገር ሆይ በእውነት በአንቺ የተደረገ የእግዚአብሔር ሥራው ዕፁብ ድንቅ ነው”

In summary, the EOTC’s perspective on the Holy Virgin Mary underscores her extraordinary purity and holiness. Her life and virtues set her apart as the purest and most holy among all human beings, chosen by God to bear His Son and revered by all creation.